Tip, Tap and Toe facts for kids

Tip, Tap, and Toe was a super important and funny tap-dance group from the United States. They started performing in the late 1920s. This amazing group appeared in many movies in the 1930s and 1940s.

Who Were Tip, Tap, and Toe?

The original members of Tip, Tap, and Toe were Sammy Green, Teddy Frazier, and Raymond Winfield. Sometimes, other talented dancers like Freddie James and Prince Spencer also joined them. Prince Spencer was also a member of another famous group called The Four Step Brothers.

This group performed for Eddie Cantor at the Palace Theatre in New York City. They also had their own shows at the Paramount Theatre. Tip, Tap, and Toe were part of big shows like George White's Scandals of 1936 and the Cotton Club Review.

During the 1930s and 1940s, it was hard for African-American performers to be the main stars in Hollywood movies. However, special acts like Tip, Tap, and Toe were allowed to appear. This group showed off their incredible talent in at least five major Hollywood films during that time.

Their Amazing Dance Style

The Library of Congress has information about their performances. They said Tip, Tap, and Toe were among the first groups to tap the same sounds using different dance steps. They could also use the same steps to make different sounds! They were very creative with their routines.

Raymond Winfield was known for his amazing slides. He would dance on a small, oval stage. Winfield could slide forward, backward, sideways, and even spin around. It looked like he was floating! He had incredible balance and could do a lot of movement in a small space.

Movies and TV Shows

Tip, Tap, and Toe appeared in several films and television shows. Their performances brought joy to many people.

Films They Appeared In

• By Request (a short film from 1935)
• Scandals (1936)
• You Can't Have Everything (1937)
• Pardon My Sarong (1942) with The Ink Spots
• All by Myself (1943)
• Honeymoon Lodge (1943), with Frank Veloz
• Hi, Good Lookin'! (1944), with Louis DaPron

TV Shows They Performed On

• Cavalcade of Bands
  • Episode 2.3 (1950)
  • Episode 2.17 (1951)
• The Ken Murray Show (1950)
• Van Heflin/Mel Torme (1950)
• The Milton Berle Show
  • with guest host Morey Amsterdam (1948)
  • Episode 1.49 (1949)